![Frown :( :(](/ubb/frown.gif)
Bloody great ironmongers, very quirky place, and family business for 111 years - closes December 24th, due to Croydon redevelopment (which probably isn't even happening now, due to the credit crunch).
Like a cross between a 'Are You Being Served?' and a traditional hardware store, it had tonnes of staff, they knew all about their specialist subject, or would refer to their colleagues by department ('you need to see 'Gardening' about that').
Not only that, it clearly had a massive revamp in the Sixties, to match the rest of Croydon, and so has loads of interesting little original 60s signage, tiles and mosaics and the like in its fixtures and fittings.
Bought a final tub of floor vinyl remover today, and will be back to take some piccies before the sad day. Loads of the staff have been there decades. They're selling all the stock off, so slightly desolate atmosphere at the moment...
Doesn't even appear to have a website, it's so old-skool.